On August 27, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced the expansion of the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) crop insurance policy to every state and every county, making WFRP the first crop insurance policy to be universally available nationwide. WFRP is a single crop insurance policy that insures all of a farmer’s crops and animals under […]
Beginning and Minority Farmers
Release: FSA Financing Options Improving for Produce Farmers
Washington, DC, July 22, 2015 – For fruit and vegetable growers, especially operators of small and mid-scale family farms, packing and storage sheds serve as critical pieces of their farm operations, allowing fresh produce to be safely washed, sorted, graded, labeled, boxed up, and stored before it heads to market. In an effort to better […]
Food Hub Report Series Launched by USDA
Filling a gap in information on operations and best practices from food hubs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development mission area launched a new technical report series called Running a Food Hub with the first report, Running a Food Hub: Lessons Learned from the Field, Vol. One (hereafter Lessons Learned) on July 15. Yesterday’s release of […]
Millions Available to Help Connect Retiring Landowners with New Farmers
Access to farmland remains one of the most difficult challenges that new farmers face when looking to start farming. Fortunately, since 2008, there has been a federal incentive program that encourages retiring landowners to sell or lease long term to new and underserved farmers. The Transition Incentives Program (TIP) is an option for farmers and […]
High Tunnels Continue to Serve New Farmers
Jacob and Courtney Cowgill of Prairie Heritage Farm grow fresh vegetables, heritage turkeys, ancient and heritage grains, and lamb in Central Montana. Farming up where the Rocky Mountains meet the plains means that their land is exposed to fierce winds and long winters, presenting unique challenges for their Community Support Agriculture (CSA) and wholesale production in the […]
2016 Funding Bill Opens Payment Loophole, Cuts Conservation and Renewable Energy
On Thursday, June 18, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee passed its funding bill for fiscal year (FY) 2016. Overall, the bill provides $20.65 billion in discretionary funding, $175 million less than last year’s enacted level and a whopping $1.1 billion less than the USDA request. The full House Appropriations Committee will now take up the […]
Most Want Real Farm Subsidy Reform, but Mega-Farms Want More Taxpayer Money
Our Analysis of Public Comments on USDA’s Actively Engaged in Farming Rule The public comment period on USDA’s proposed “Actively Engaged in Farming” rule recently closed. USDA will now sift through more than 80 comments received to write a final rule, that we hope will be with a commitment real reform. The draft rule, while […]
Value-Added Producer Grants – Great Program but Problems Persist with USDA Rules
On Friday, May 8th, the Rural Business Cooperative Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its final rule for the Value Added Producer Grant program (VAPG), effective immediately. This final rule was published in conjunction with the latest announcement of $30 million in funding available for VAPG projects in 2015. The final rule […]
How is USDA Doing Supporting Training for New Farmers?
This post was written and originally published by the Land Stewardship Project, a farmer-based NSAC member organization. This week, the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) released their annual report on grants allocated through the USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). Completed now for the fifth year, in collaboration with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition […]
Release: Assessment Recommends Improvements to National Beginning Farmer & Rancher Grants Program
Contact: Megan Buckingham, Land Stewardship Project, 612-722-6377; Ferd Hoefner, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, 202-547-5754 Minneapolis, Minn., June 3, 2015 — The nation’s leading public training program for assisting beginning farmers and ranchers is more popular than ever, and with some key adjustments could better fulfill Congress’s intent to target public funding to community-based organizations that conduct […]
Programs in Action: SARE Supports Beginning Farmers on the Forefront of Organic Research
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of blog posts highlighting Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) projects that support the next generation of farmers. Check out our first blog here, which features two innovative women farmers who used SARE to increase profitability on their farms. The SARE program is a farmer driven research, education […]
Millions Still Available to Help Farmers Purchase Land
Please note that this post analyzes loan funding availability for 2015. For a more updated analysis of FSA loan funding, please see our recent posts looking at Commodity, Crop Insurance, and Credit Programs. Are you a farmer? Want more information on Federal Farm and Food Programs? Check out our Grassroots Guide for more information. With less […]
Programs in Action: Building Viable Speciality Industries with SARE
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of blog posts highlighting Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) projects that support women and beginning farmers. The SARE program is a farmer driven research, education and extension grants program designed to help advance sustainable agriculture across the country. Over the past 25 years, SARE has […]
The Farmer Perspective: Championing the Farm to School Act of 2015
“Farm to school is great for a community because it builds social capital around health and wellness and makes the connection between the farming community and local schools.” —Jason Grimm, Farmer, Iowa Valley Food Co-op (North English, IA) When most people think of the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization (CNR), they think of children. However, federal […]
Upcoming: Organic Working Group Webinar
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Organic Working Group will be hosting a webinar on April 29 to showcase a variety of resources for farmers interested in organic. The webinar will take place at 1:00 pm eastern time. The webinar will feature presentations on the process to obtain an organic certification, organic labeling, and […]
Agriculture Funding Debates Continue, Decisions Loom
This week and last, the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees continued their examination of the Obama Administration’s budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2016. Food & Drug Administration On Thursday, March 12, Senate appropriators questioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about their increased budget request to support implementation of the Food Safety Modernization […]
Farmers, Ranchers Visit DC to Speak Out on Critical Sustainable Agriculture Programs
On March 18th, independent family farmers and ranchers from all over the country traveled to DC to meet with their Congressional members to advocate for critical sustainable agriculture programs. They discussed the importance of federal funding for programs that support working lands conservation, agricultural research, and food safety outreach. Over the course of the day, the farmers met with their Senators and Representatives to discuss their personal experiences working with sustainable agriculture programs. The farmers explained how funding for these programs is an effective investment in rural economies, local food systems, and environmental improvement…. Read More →
Upcoming Deadlines for Federal Farm and Food Grant Programs
NSAC has compiled a list of upcoming deadlines for federal grant applications and grant assistance workshops…. Read More →
Federal Funding Available for Minority and Veteran Farmer Outreach and Assistance
USDA has announced the availability of $9.1 million grant funding for the 2501 program to provide outreach and assistant socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers…. Read More →
Got local food? A new report highlights trends
On Thursday, January 29, the Economic Research Service (ERS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the Trends in U.S. Local and Regional Food Systems: A Report to Congress. Written at the request of Congress as part of the FY 2014 agricultural appropriations bill, the report provides an overview and analysis of the growth, […]
Senate Bill Would Cap Crop Insurance Subsidies
On Tuesday February 3, Senators Shaheen and Toomey introduced legislation to cap crop insurance subsidies at $50,000 per entity. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this payment limit would save the federal government $2.2 billion over 10 years while impacting only 2.5 percent of producers. Currently, the federal government subsidizes, on average, 62 percent of […]
Millions Invested into New Farmer Training Programs
This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced awards to 39 organizations that will receive federal grants to help train the next generation of farmers and ranchers. USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden made the announcement at an urban aquaponics facility in New Orleans, run by one of the grant recipients. These grants were funded through […]
What Does the President’s 2016 Budget Mean for Sustainable Agriculture?
There are some positive signs in the budget request for sustainable food and agriculture priorities, but also some very major disappointments…. Read More →
Sustainable Farming in the South: NSAC Members Gather in Georgia
Earlier this week, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) held its bi-annual meeting on Jekyll Island in Southeastern Georgia. Representatives of NSAC’s member organizations convened to discuss and set NSAC priorities for 2015, plan grassroots actions for the year, and engage on sustainable agriculture issues with other advocates from around the country. Georgia Organics, a […]